


Lying My Way From You

by audra_accalia



Series: Audra's Story [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-09-30 06:39:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10156406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/audra_accalia/pseuds/audra_accalia
Summary: 10: Fearful of what the Prophesy means, Snape agrees to be Dumbledore's pawn. His first assignment: to report to the spy already established within the Death Eaters. But who could that be?





	1. Heartbeat

His hands were sweaty. He was sure everyone in the room could hear his heart thumping from inside his chest. For the first time he was thankful to be wearing a mask, fearful that his expression of fear and desperation would give him away. Dumbledore’s words kept replaying in his mind over and over again. For the past week he’s been repeating the conversation in his head.

_“The Prophesy did not speak of a woman. It spoke of a boy born at the end of July.”_

_“But He thinks it’s her son. He intends to hunt them down – to kill them! Hide her. Hide them all. I beg you.”  
_

_“What will you give me in exchange, Severus?”_  
  
“Anything.”

Scores of people were cramped into the entry hall of the Manor, bodies pressing against each other and Snape was sure someone would feel his pulse racing. He nervously glanced around, noting how more than half the crowd wasn’t wearing masks. This was an unusual meeting; normally only the Inner Circle was ever called to the Manor and everyone else responded to them. But here were Snatcher, humanoid beasts, Death Eaters, and followers all gathered together.

Snape searched the crowd, looking from face to face, trying to see behind their eyes.

_“We already have a spy within the Death Eaters. You are to assist them.”_

_“How will I know who the spy is?”_

_“In time they will reveal themselves to you. Until then, you respond when I call and obey my commands.”_  

Who could it be? Who was well placed enough to provide valuable information, so valuable that Dumbledore didn’t immediately jump at Snape’s suggestion? It would have to be a Death Eater, not a groupie, he decided. Inner Circle? Who? 

The Dark Lord stood above the crowd at the top of the stairs. His Second-In-Command Audra stood at His side, also observing the crowd. And just behind her shoulder stood her own personal soldier, Josh Trappe. He was watching Audra, an alert dog waiting for the command to attack. Could he be the spy? He was certainly close enough to the action, even if the Dark Lord didn’t confide in him directly surely he would overhear more than his fair share of information to be useful on the outside?

Snape looked back at Audra and was surprised to see her staring straight at him. Could she know his secret? Her eyes bore a hole through his mask, baring his soul for the entire world to see. He tried to break away but couldn’t. Tried to take a step back but found himself rooted. Her expression was not of malice or understanding, suspicion or recognition. It was unreadable though he tried.

“It has come to my attention,” the quite voice of the Dark Lord cut through the crowd, “that one of you has betrayed me."

Snape forced himself to look away, to look anywhere but the platform.

“An Auror was captured last night.” Snape broke his conduct and looked up at his Master. “An Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. He revealed that there is an Order spy within our ranks.” 

The people down below became uneasy. Some began to shift uncomfortably where they stood. Others quietly whispered to one another or examined their neighbors closely. Audra continued to scan the crowd, her eyes darting from face to face as if she was searching. Trappe had joined her at the banister, his wand out and ready for use. The two never spoke and yet Snape instinctually knew they were conversing through body language and slight touches. 

“I will give you a fair chance,” continued the Dark Lord, “fore I am merciful. Reveal yourself to me now and your death will be swift and painless.”

The spy has to be Trappe; there’s no way it wasn’t. But how could Snape approach him as an ally without raising suspicion?

“Is no one going to take my offer? Pity.”

Suddenly a masked man broke ranks, pushing his way through the crowd. He was far from escape being in the center of the crowd and all exits blocked by a thick mass of bodies. People stumbled as he shoved them out of the way, desperately trying to make it to freedom. He had just reached Snape when another figure entered Snape’s field of vision from above, the glint of the steel sword driving straight down between the man’s shoulders. Blood sputtered from the man’s lips followed by a choking gargling sound. His eyes bore into Snape’s as his body fell forward, the full weight of Audra and sword pressing down on him from above. The body hit the floor with a dull thud and the room held it’s breath, waiting as the man drew his last. Audra withdrew _Idolo_ from between the shoulder blades, watching as the body twitched at her feet. Using her foot, she rolled the victim over onto his bloody back. Blood continued to bubble out of his mouth with every wet breath he expelled. She placed the tip of her katana beside his temple and swiftly cut down, slicing the ear off. A final draw across the man’s neck and he went silent and still.

Audra looked towards the Dark Lord. “It’s Wilkes, My Lord.” Snape’s breath caught in his throat as Audra turned back and caught his gaze. Her expression was still unreadable but Snape was able to understand: Wilkes was not the spy and she knew it. She knew that he was the spy.


	2. Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snape continues to suspect Trappe is the spy Dumbledore referred to, so he is completely surprised when Audra reveals her secret.

_“The spy is dead. Whomever you wanted me to answer to is dead.”_

_“No they are not. The spy is still active and knows you are there as well. They will reveal themselves in time.”_

This was getting easier. A month had passed and Snape continued his normal role within the Inner Circle. He had attending meetings when called and sat quietly observing as much as he could. He brewed the finally named Wolfsbane potion for Audra as he did every month since he perfected the recipe. This past month, however, Snape slipped up. It was uncommon for Audra to inspect him as he worked and he was so preoccupied with his fear of her suspicion that he completely missed an ingredient. This potion was tricky, requiring precise measurements and timing. Snape was good at being prepared; in fact he prided himself on his mise-en-place. It wasn’t until she left the room that he noticed the small pile of aconite on his cutting board that had escaped his knife. He quickly corrected his mistake, hoping that it would not cause too much of a problem in the brewing process.

Snape continued to watch Trappe, certain he was the spy Dumbledore was referring to. It was clever to have positioned himself so close to the Dark Lord. He had the ear of both the Dark Lord and Audra and yet lacked the responsibilities both held. He had Audra’s trust and loyalty and if the Dark Lord were to ever suspect Trappe of sinister motives, Audra was there to protect her friend. But his position also made him difficult to approach. If he was within the Manor, he was by Audra’s side. Even the Dark Lord sent the two on missions together. And Snape feared meeting him in the outside world in case they were seen. Even now, sitting across the table from him, Trappe was still unreachable.

The Dark Lord sat at the head of the table, with Audra to His immediate right. Normally Snape would sit closer to the other end of the table but the Dark Lord had recently taken a liking to him; his information about the Prophesy had earned him the spot on the Dark Lord’s left. Snape had to concentrate hard to keep both legilimens within arm’s reach from entering his thoughts. Was Trappe a legilimens too? Could he somehow pass a message to him?

“Apothecary,” said Audra, snapping Snape from his thoughts, “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.” The meeting had not started yet and people were still taking their seats. “What the flying phoenix was up with that fucking potion last month?”

“I am sorry, My Lady,” he stumbled, “I didn’t mean to cause you pain.”

Audra sat back in her chair. “You think you’re sorry now? Wait until I’m done with you.”

The Dark Lord sighed. “Don’t kill him, Audra. He’s useful.”

“He’s already told you all he knows about the Prophesy. He can’t be of much more use,” she replied.

“Yeah – bu’ ye need him fer yer potion,” added Trappe. “I’d dae it, bu’ I’m miserable a’ it.” Trappe was vouching for him. It had to be Trappe.

The final person took their seat and the Dark Lord addressed the table. People gave verbal reports of their activities and assignments when addressed. Written reports were passed down to Audra, who overlooked them before adding them to a pile next to the Dark Lord. Audra and Trappe both lazily recounted their recent exploit in Berlin though neither mentioned the name of their target. The Dark Lord seemed angry at their inability to carry out their orders fully, but didn’t seek to punish either. Snape had noticed long ago that He was less quick to publicly reprimand them whereas anyone else who failed Him got a solid round of the Cruciatus Curse. As such, everyone else was constantly on edge in the Dark Lord’s presence, never sure when the wand would be turned upon them. But Audra and Trappe both were well at ease. Come to think of it, since her promotion to Second-in-Command and his to bodyguard, neither one of them have been reprimanded in front of others. It was assumed that Audra and the Dark Lord had slept together, and Snape could only assume that Trappe’s comfortable nature was due to her protection.

The mention of the Order brought Snape back to reality. “With the Order growing stronger it is imperative we get a spy behind their lines,” acknowledged the Dark Lord. “It can be assumed they too know about the Prophesy and have sent the Potters into hiding.”

“My Lord, I’d be able to find them,” said Dolohov from the other end of the table.

“Fa’ chance,” replied Trappe, “I’m better than ye an’ I can’t find the kid.”

“Dumbledore will have used a Fidelius Charm,” continued Voldemort.

Another Death Eater spoke up. “So find the Secret Keeper and get the information from them.”

Audra rolled her eyes. “You can’t coerce the secret from the Keeper, Mott. Not through torture and not through force. That’s like basic magic 101,” she sneered.

“I will not be taught magic by a mudblood!” Mott spat.

“Too bad you just were,” she sarcastically replied. The man made to withdraw his wand but thought twice as Trappe raised his eyebrows to challenge.

“Not to mention the Keeper could be Dumbledore himself,” said the Dark Lord, once again gaining control of the conversation. “The only way we can quietly find the Potters is to befriend the Secret Keeper. Learn the Secret and then kill the Keeper will then make you the new Secret Keeper. We will need someone on the inside to find that person.”

Avery stood. “My Lord, it would be my honor to be selected for this mission,” he boldly stated.

Audra actually laughed out loud. “You Avery? You wouldn’t make it past the threshold before Dumbledore was on to you. Your mental strength is pathetic.”

“I resent that!”

“Yeah? I see that your wife just had a baby girl – what’s her name? Bella? After your childhood dog… looks like she was named after a border collie,” sniggered Audra. “Dumbledore is a far better legilimens than I am and that took minimal effort. I didn’t even need my wand."

Avery’s face turned beet red and his hand shook as he withdrew his wand. Audra laughed and flicked her fingers in a swiping motion, sending Avery flying backwards. His heels caught on his chair’s back and the two fell hard. Audra, Trappe, and the Dark Lord snickered as the man reluctantly returned to his seat. 

“No it can’t be anyone in this room,” Audra said, addressing the entire table. “We’ve all got ink and our stories would not be believable. No one here would have the motivation to switch sides; at least not enough to convince Dumbledore. No, we’ll have to recruit from the inside,” she said, turning to the Dark Lord.

He nodded and readdressed the table, doling out assignments. Snape received no new assignment other than to continue brewing the Wolfsbane for Audra. The meeting was dismissed and he went to gather his cloak from the hall.

“Where the hell you going?” called Audra, standing at the doorframe of the room he just left. “You still ain’t sorry enough for your mistake.”

Snape turned on his heel. “My Lady, I – ”

Audra flicked her wand at him, cutting off his speech. “I don’t want excuses or apologies.” She approached Snape, pulling her cloak over her shoulders. “We’re going for a walk.” Seeing his confused expression, she elaborated, “So that when I kill you, your body can be eaten by wild animals since you intend to keep me as one every moon.” 

She led him through the kitchen and out the back door, bee-lining it for the woods at the back of the property. Trappe followed the pair at a distance. Snape attempted to catch his attention, hoping beyond hope that Trappe would intervene. Would he intervene? Trappe is loyal to Audra, but he’s also loyal to Dumbledore – or at least Snape assumed he is.

Audra led the way through the woods and with each step Snape grew even more nervous. Should she attack him, he was now too far away from the Manor to call for help. Finally, a mile into the trek, Audra stopped at the thickest part of the woods and Trappe caught up to her. “Secure the perimeter,” she instructed. He nodded and began to walk around in a circle fifteen feet in diameter, leaving Audra and Snape in the center. He paused at every tree trunk and tapped it with his wand. Each tree he touched glowed a soft grey color from the roots to the branches above. Once he completed the circle, the glow pulsed once, forming a complete dome through the intermingled branches all the way down to the twisted roots before fading away.

“We’re secure, Sensei,” he replied, taking a seat at the base of a glowing tree. “An’ might I say Mott is a real dick-hole cracker.” 

“You ain’t just whistling Dixie,” she replied, pulling a bottle of fire whiskey from thin air. She took a swig and then tossed it to Trappe. “I figured we could use a drink after that disaster of a meeting.” He smiled and also imbibed.

“So,” she said, turning to face Snape, “did Dumbledore tell you to poison me?”

This is it; she knows. He was surely done for. “My Lady – I don’t know what you mean,” he tried to cover.

“Ok – first off, if you’re going to be a spy you’ve gotta be more convincing. Playing dumb doesn’t work this far in,” she chided.   Snape stumbled over his words, his semblance of a plan falling to pieces. “You’re wondering how I know? You reek of Dumbledore’s scent. You’ve seen him at least a dozen times in the past month.” 

Snape looked back at Trappe, hoping for assistance. “Daen’t look a’ me,” he replied lazily, “I ain’t here fer ye.”

“But you said Wilkes was the spy,” Snape countered, attempting to regain his cover. “If you knew it was me, why kill him?”

“To take the heat off of you,” said Audra, leveling him with a gaze. “As of this moment the Dark Lord believes that I killed the Order’s spy. And we’re going to keep Him believing that.” She left Snape where he was and retrieved the bottle from Trappe. “You’re no use to me if you’re dead.”

Finally the gears clicked into place and Snape understood. “You’re the Order’s spy,” he gasped. 

Audra took a swig and then handed him the bottle. “Congrats – you figured it out,” she smiled. “I mean I literally dropped a reference during the meeting but whatever.”

“I was a little preoccupied with your threat to kill me,” he said.

Audra laughed. “Yeah, I’ve got a hell of an image to maintain.”

Snape was still in shock as he took a drink. He turned to Trappe. “And you? You’re also a spy?”

Trappe shook his head. “Naw, jus’ her.”

Audra took the bottle back from Snape and partook. “How long?” Snape asked as she raised the bottle to her lips.

“Since day one,” she replied, continuing to pass the drink. “I’m currently being paid a handsome sum by the Ministry as an undercover auror. Josh figured me out pretty early on but never turned me in,” she nudged him playfully.

“I’m still expecting my cut o’ yer profits,” he jokingly replied.

“But I’m the one passing along information,” she continued. “Only now I won’t be. Now it’ll be you.” She rejoined Snape where he stood. “You’re to be the go-between for me. With how busy it has been, I’ve had difficulty making sure Dumbledore gets information in time. We almost lost it with the Potters.”

“Aye – I was able to find ‘em before the charm was placed,” added Trappe.

Snape knotted his eyebrows in confusion. “But you told the Dark Lord you couldn’t find them.”

Trappe smiled cunningly. “I said I couldn’t find the _kid_. I found the father – ”

“James,” interjected Audra, taking a seat next to her friend.

“He was outside in the garden,” continued Trappe. “Fortunately he ne’er saw me an’ I was able to report back with a nae-gae.” He took another swig from the bottle and coughed. “Ye’re goin’ tae learn tha’ the only way tae survive is tae tell half-truths. Pick yer words _carefully_ enough tha’ the Dark Lord deasn’t question further.”

“Josh has been a real asset to me this entire time,” said Audra. “I’d be dead by now if it wasn’t for him.” He playfully tousled her hair as she said this. “And I’d be dead long before that if it wasn’t for you,” she finished, looking up at Snape. “I won’t sell you out, both to the Dark Lord or to the Ministry – I can promise you that. But you’re going to have to do everything I tell you and question only when necessary. There will be times I can’t give reasons. There will be times I’m difficult to work with.”

“Understatement,” muttered Trappe. He received a good shove in response.

“But there’s a lot at stake,” she continued as if the interruption hadn’t happened. “As such I need to know if you’re truly on my team." 

Trappe got to his feet and then gave Audra a hand up. She shook down her robes before holding out her hand. Snape looked at her hand and then up to her face. He looked between her and her bodyguard, determining if this was truly the allied force he wanted to join. _You are to assist them_ , Dumbledore’s words fluttered through his brain. Snape took a deep breath, let it out, and grabbed her hand. He shook it, and then took Trappe’s hand and shook it as well.

“So how am I to pass information without the Dark Lord suspecting?”

Audra smiled. “You still got that unrequited love thing for Lily, correct?”


End file.
